Director of Construction

SummerHill Apartment Communities; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

401k + Employer Contribution

Medical, Dental, Vision Plans

Flexible Spending Accounts

Long-Term Disability

Job summary

SummerHill Apartment Communities in the Bay Area seeks a Director of Construction to lead the development and construction process for multifamily projects. You will guide the design development, bid and procurement, and on-site construction management, ensuring feasibility, budget adherence, and on-time delivery with top-tier contractors and consultants.

The role requires deep expertise in V and III construction prototypes, strong leadership, and collaboration with development, asset

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; architecture or construction management preferred.
• 6–8 years full-cycle experience in multi-family development.
• Ability to interact with architects, third-party firms, and city municipalities.
• Background in jurisdictional, architectural, construction, or real estate development.

Responsibilities

• Oversee site acquisitions and due diligence; prepare specifications, estimates, and schedules.
• Coordinate entitlement processes, approvals, and public relations with Development Managers.
• Manage pre-construction, design development, and coordination with consultants.
• Direct construction management, budgets, schedules, and successful turnover.
• Lead contractor relationships and ensure project alignment with budgets and quality.

Skills

Negotiation

Planning

Organizational skills

Management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in architecture or construction management

Graduate degree preferred

Job description

About the Company

SummerHill Apartment Communities (SHAC), a subsidiary of Marcus & Millichap Company, is a Bay Area-based multi-family development company. Founded in 2002, the Company targets development communities throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. To find out more about the company, visit https://shapartments.com.

Please note that we are in a great location, near Caltrain, with excellent restaurants and shops within walking distance.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Director of Construction to join the team! This position will be responsible for providing strong technical and management support throughout the entire development process and will take a leadership role in assisting the Company in developing prototypical product types to facilitate project execution. The successful candidate will have a clear and complete understanding of the various multi-family housing prototypes, including type V and III construction, and will be adept at working in collaboration with the acquisition, development, and asset management functions to optimize development solutions to maximize project feasibility.

The Director of Construction will also assist with consultant identification, selection, and scoping, and will essentially manage the consultant team during the design development and construction documentation phases of the project. During the construction phase, the Director of Construction will execute construction of the project on time and within budget, utilizing third-party general contractors, and confirm that the project was built pursuant to the plans and specifications. The Director of Construction will develop and maintain excellent relationships with contractors, material suppliers, and city building departments, in addition to working collaboratively alongside the SHAC Development and Asset Management teams.

The Director of Construction will manage the on-site Construction Manager (project-dependent) and work closely with the Senior Director of Construction. This position reports to the Senior Vice President of Design & Construction.

Key Responsibilities

• Site Acquisitions and Due Diligence Activities:
  • Prepare standard specifications, construction estimates, and construction schedules for GO meetings
  • Support the development of preliminary construction budgets and indirect fee budgets
• Entitlement Process:
  • Review and analyze conditions of approval
  • Unit plan review
  • Prepare design fee projections, update construction estimates, and schedules
  • Support Development Managers with entitlement approvals, hearings, and public relations
  • Support Development Managers with the identification of off-site improvements and public improvements
  • Support Development Managers in the creation of environmental noise studies, geotechnical, and environmental phase I and phase II studies
  • Coordinate permit issuance
  • Ensure smooth deal handoff from the Development team
• Pre-Construction Management:
  • Work with Development Managers to identify required design consultants
  • Prepare design discipline “Request for Proposals,” receive and vet proposals, and provide recommendations for award
  • Prepare design discipline work agreements; update, manage, and maintain budget costs for consultants
  • Support Asset Management in developing and integrating amenity layouts and common area uses
  • Manage the development of Design Development documents
  • Manage Construction Documents – working with all consultants to ensure a smooth, coordinated effort for all phases of drawing development
  • Determine and manage permit fees, bond requirements, and the City approval process
  • Work with VP to identify the pre-construction firm; prepare and manage the pre-construction agreement
  • Manage construction estimates and work with the pre-construction firm to establish means and methods, value engineering, and construction scopes
  • Work with VP to develop the final GMP, support negotiations of the General Contractor agreement
  • Work with the General Contractor to expeditiously execute subcontracts
• Construction Management:
  • Manage the General Contractor, construction budget, and construction schedule
  • Manage off-site utility improvements
  • Manage the General Contractor to complete the project and the turnover process
  • If required, manage on-site SHAC Construction Managers
  • Support the SHAC Finance team to complete all requirements of the financial partner’s needs for recordkeeping, their on-site consultant’s recording needs, and monthly invoicing
  • Support Asset Management in developing and integrating unit finishes, addressing, logos, naming, and FF&E installation
  • Support Asset Management in integrating Lease-Up execution, public events, etc.
  • Manage punch list, close out, and building turnover process
  • Support asset sale(s), if necessary
  • Manage warranty callback process

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent negotiation, planning, and organizational skills
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
• Demonstrated superior management skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and excellent communication at all levels of the organization

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in architecture or construction management; a graduate degree is preferred
• A minimum of 6 to 8 years of full-cycle experience managing multi-family, ground-up development projects is required
• Candidates must also be equipped and able to interact and collaborate with architects, third-party construction firms, as well as city municipalities
• A background in jurisdictional, architectural, construction, or real estate development is required

Benefits Overview

The compensation plan for this role is commensurate with the skills required for the position. As such, it is comprised of a base salary and an annual performance-based incentive, which is determined upon individual and portfolio performance.

The Company offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays, and Paid Sick Time
• 401k + Employer Contribution
• Medical (H.S.A./HDHP option + Employer Contribution), Dental, and Vision Plan(s)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Group Term Life/AD&D and Voluntary Life/AD&D Plans
• Long-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability Buy-Up Plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Fitness & Wellness Program
• Other Voluntary Plans

Depending on the role, other benefits such as commissions, an educational assistance program (tuition reimbursement), a referral program, and/or a car allowance may be applicable.